A new IG report about the traumatic brain injury scandal I first exposed in 2015 reveals Thomas Murphy, former acting VBA under secretary, failed to ensure “consistent implementation” of TBI examination policies.

For the past couple months, IG has dumped many reports implicating poor leadership from Thomas Murphy while he was the acting executive in charge of Veterans Benefits Administration. Now, with the joke of an Accountability Act, Murphy is still working at the agency as Midwest District Director and will retire in a few years.

For some background, I caught VA at Minneapolis VA Medical Center using unqualified doctors to conduct initial exams of veterans seeking benefits for traumatic brain injury. A client of mine wanted to expose his story to the press. We teamed up with AJ Lagoe at Kare 11 News, and AJ took it from there.

Through the investigation, VA admitted at least 24,000 veterans were impact by the scandal and sent out equitable relief offers to those veterans.

Now, IG indicates the agency paid millions to contractors including QTC and VES. And, the agency demanded repayment of monies from the two contractors for failing to abide by the terms of the contract. QTC was owned by Lockheed Martin and was run by two previous VA secretaries, Anthony Principi and James Peake, MD.

In the Appendix, the IG report basically throws Murphy under the bus. The comical part of the past three months of reports are how many implicate bad decisionmaking by Murphy that actually harmed veterans.

Meanwhile, Disabled American Veterans gave Murphy an award for top federal bureaucrat veterans advocate of the year. And, VA gave Murphy a boost by letting him retire in a top slot as head of the Midwest District.

Accountability?

Here is an excerpt:

The former VBA Executive in Charge, Thomas Murphy, and the Chief Officer of VHA’s DMA office since August 2015, Patricia Murray, did not ensure consistent implementation of VA’s TBI medical examination policies. Although VBA issued policy for initial TBI medical examinations, VBA and VHA were independently responsible for establishing contract terms and contract administration. This led to inconsistent implementation of TBI medical examination policies and contract requirements.

ABOUT FOUNDER
Benjamin Krause is a lawyer, investigative reporter and award-winning veterans advocate. He is author of the guide Voc Rehab Survival Guide for Veterans and chief editor of DisabledVeterans.org.
He received his Bachelors from Northwestern University and Law Degree from the University of Minnesota, both using VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment.
He is also featured regularly in national publications as an authority on Department of Veterans Affairs policy such as Bloomberg News, Foreign Policy Magazine, Washington Times, Fox News, CBS, NBC, Star Tribune and more.
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So, you hate Trump. That’s fine. However, your comment like this is moronic. The VA corruption has been going on long before Trump took office. In 2011, the GOP led Congress & President Obama passed a law to cut wait times. Less than a year later, an oIG report said the VA ignored the new law & decided to fudge the wait time reports. During Obama’s last year in office, again, Congress & Obama got together to pass the 2017 VA budget. A recent OIG report stated the VA was losing almost $5 billion a year on illegal contracts. Congress & Obama agreed on what the VA should get in their budget & passed it. The VA was pissed. They went to the liberal media & cried about how the GOP screwed them & hey went to the conservative media & whined about Obama screwing them & vets. That is the VA culture. It has nothing to do with who is in the White House.

My legal reps submitted a NOD for the VA giving me a TBI rating of 0%.

Dr. X made a statement in the DBQ….and my legal reps stated that “he was a psychologist and is not approved to opine on a TBI examination. Only a neurologist, psychiatrist, neurosurgeon, or physiatrist is able to conduct the examination.”

Wait just one confounded second here!
Lockheed Martin is a major federal government contractor in the US and of course, gets an enormous income from Uncle because they primarily supply our aeronautics resources. Will someone please put the dots together and explain to me what qualifies LM to have been/be a major player in any division of Veteran’s Affairs. Granted, executive skillsets can be utilized in more than one area but, given the “special” relationship LM has with Uncle, do we really want more of their operatives inside the DoD, VA, and the like? It seems to me that there are far more mentions of LM fingers in the DoD/VA governmental pie than any other company I can bring to mind. Now we learn that by extention through an affilliated company, LM employees are skewing veteran’s comp exams, for what, ensuring more of Uncle’s bucks get into LM’s lobbying/PAC coffers?

I certainly have not received equitable relief since filing and being diagnosed with tbi in 2010. A VA Dr. diagnosed me with tbi yet the VA denied it completely.

In fact I have to keep cannabis on hand because the onset of extreme migraines, blurred vision, equilibrium loss and eventual vomiting can be intense and downright miserable. I had one set on this morning after a few nights of endless nightmares that have prevented me from even resting. Fortunately I was able to mitigate it before it really set in. Sometimes ice on the head helps too.

Yet I see in Hollywood now ptsd is a big running joke in anything having to do with soldiers. What do you expect from a bunch of cowardly faggots and kiddy touchers who have never had to put their ass on the front line?

We boycott movies in this household because the sjw bullshit is out of hand. If it was made after 1999 we don’t waste our time.

The level of disrespect and ungratefulness in this country is like nothing I have ever seen, whether it’s Hollywood or the VA. I guess we really need the all male draft again so some of these jealous losers can go find out what someone else volunteered to suffer for them.

WWII Veterans and Korean War Veterans are the only ones that come to mind who have put there acting careers on hold or were on active duty then went into acting. Pat Tillman is the only one of these current money hungry grubs from Hollywood or sports who left there multimillion dollar career to serve our Country. Piss on Them All

I was medically discharged out in 1994 for TBI after going through the TBI program at Walter Reed. I was given a 30% TDRL rating by the Army, and a 30% rating by the VA. I had Left sided hemi-paresis (resulting and balance & coordination problems), dysarthric ataxia (Speech problems), and the usual stuff that goes with TBI (memory, attention, concentration)… I moved to Tampa in 2008 and spent 8 months in the Tampa VA’s Polytrauma Rehab program, after which they added on a 40% TBI rating and 10% for thyroid problems, 60% Overall.
A got a job working at the Bay Pines VA as a Laborer, and a guy I worked with told me I should be higher, because my memory sucks… I put in for an increase, and they reduced my 40% rating to 0%. I contested the decision, and after 4 years they sent me a letter but I didn’t really understand it, and 30 days later the VA closed the Appeal.
Since, my TBI Docs at Tampa diagnosed me with Major Depression, and so the VA took my initial 30% rating for Post Traumatic Encephalopathy and changed it to 50% for Major Depression, and other Cognitive Issues… I put in for an increase in my TBI rating again, and the VA kept it at 0%. My doctors from the Tampa VA that specialize in TBI rehab don’t understand how the doctors that spend a couple hours with me can say I’m fine, when I have medical records going back 25 years with TBI related issues…

How do you get medically discharged out of the Army, and the VA rates you at 0% for TBI? Nerve cells do not heal, it’s not like a broken Arm, you can relearn new ways to adapt, but there are always going to be issues related to having TBI.

A General Medicine PA did my Comp & Pen evaluation, not a Neurologist, not a psychiatrist…

Meanwhile people with Flat Foot condition and Tinnitus have a 60% rating. Traumatic Brain Injury is a joke

I haven’t received equitable relief since my 2015 TBI examination by unqualified PAs either. A new exam was set up in Colorado Springs but the contract examiner apparently has to provide travel to the site which they wouldn’t do because of the cost. The DAV vans wouldn’t connect without a stay over with a hotel cost.

So we are in another “unfunded” obligation to give the 1% a big tax break. Tax break .02 is in the Ways and Means Committee so more unfunded obligations are on the way. Choice is down the tube. Some contract clinics are probably going to have to close because of failure to pay the contracts.

The TBI walking talking but unable to maintain employment has put veterans on the street since the Revolutionary War. Until the 1970s there were enough farm jobs to provide a means of manual labor. Mechanization has taken most of those away because of safety concerns of having a drifty TBI equipment operator. So there is little employment for TBI/PTSD victims.

The Code for TBI/PTSD victims reads fine. But it is unfunded so the Donald can get a big tax break for his family.

I’m in Torrington, WY. Under the Denver RO for benefits. I’m in conversation with Earl and Earl in Colorado Springs but they haven’t decided to take my case yet. It covers 43 years of denial of evidence, lost or shredded outpatient treatment records with the wrong medication of the seizures diagnosed per the 1990 Physicians Desk Reference, denial of service connection for spinal disk disease secondary to a 1990 seizure (denied on basis of not occurring during service instead of under 38 CFR 3.310). 1986 was when first recommended treatment for seizures but ignored by the VA. 4,624 pages in my C file and that is not all that should be there.

Earl and Earl’s phone number is 719-900-2500. Their web page is: “https://www.earlandearl.com/” You might give them a try. Ask for Kathy Coburn who is taking your contact and info to pass on to Ryan.

I’m at the 10th Circuit in Pro Se. Case no. 18-8051 plus two “petitions to review” filed under Rule 15 that I mailed yesterday. One is for an error in a Board for Correction of Naval Records decision and the other for a BVA decision. I may be late on the Statute of Limitations on both but I’ve been active on the BVA decision in time so it at least should go. And the BCNR should go to as a “clear and unmistakable error.”

I also have an appeal at the Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims, 17-2990. It is stalled because of a failure to correct the Record Before the Agency. I’m going to file my opening brief and a motion for a summary judgement because of the denial of due process by the VA. Failure to provide evidence from the Medical Division and clear and unmistakable errors based on the evidence in the RBA.

Proof documents have been removed from the RBA by references to the missing documents located in other documents.

Ben has an article today on the Philly RO Director. Pittsburg is near by and where a lot of shit happened with my file.

My husband wasn’t even sent a letter for a re-examination, much less an equitable relief offer. We had to do it all on our own. Even then, VA rated him at 10% when the scores clearly indicated 40% was appropriate. I’d like to know if any single veteran actually received an equitable relief offer, and exactly what that offer was. I’ll be surprised if anyone received one.

Hey James Gallegos, If you were 100% in 2001, VA cannot re-examine. 10 year restriction on them. You’re home free dude, with that That is in VA Regulation. Oh yeah, Next time you see your VA Doc. Demand to see the notes, then demand to have the negative comments removed.

you have to fill out a VA form at records dept to see notes, as well as another VA from to request erroneous notes ve removed. since providers can type in anything they want without your input, you would have to request medical note copies constantly. VA allows for one free copy so make it count. after all the years its hard to lug around boxes of paperwork or continually pay for additional copies if your seeking help. aside each VA requires seperate requests! they do not share via the records depts even though clinics can see all your history thru their Vistaweb portal. the VA system really is antiquated and poorly managed. as many would agree, if it were a private hospital it would be out of business. the biggest issue i believe is veterans being ‘forced’ to use the VHA simply because they are veterans. i.e. women are not forced to go to women’s only facilities & illegal immigrants can go where ever they want. ben carson had the right idea, give veterans vouchers or an access card to go anywhere appropriate. i hope the current president doesnt get snowballed by the press and veterans groups into thinking the VHA should not be privatized, completely optional or many closed. not many lawyers can take on cases for veterans because the years it takes to get any movement. it all seems like a catch 22. really, someone outside of the VHA/VA i.e. president or high courts? needs to make a decision. if this country is pro-veteran, the legislators sure do not act like it; really just appears only about the money involved with keeping a large inept system going for the corporate players involved. make the VHA optional and while you have a small amount that stay, watch the buildings empty out… the least contact you have to have with the VA/VHA the better.

A see another VA Turd just washed up in the Mid-West. Seems that the Mid-West is the new dumping ground for VA waste that is smelling up the whole mid-section of America.

Apparently, T. Denny Sanford hired none other than Fired Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin to be the chief innovation officer for Sanford Health.

T. Denny Sanford made his fortune as the owner of First PREMIER Bank and PREMIER Bankcard, both among the nation’s leading credit card providers. Premier Bankcard issues low-limit Mastercard and Visas to credit-impaired customers, charging higher-than-average interest rates and fees.

His Philanthropical so-called donations places Sanford in charge of most of the Native American Health Services in the United States and the research companies using Native Americans in research. Additionally, with the billions he spends on donations to research companies throughout the world he is a very major player in the Medical research industry globally.

While Sanford Health has a very small presents in the Heath Care industry hospital wise it certainly is a primary source of employment for third world doctors. A simple google search using the terms “Sanford Health “india”” returns about 5,300,000 results. A very large number of which press releases by Sanford about new hires with their medical degrees purchased in India.

You can bet that if they ever investigated Shulkin’s decision to keep the VA Hospital in Hot Spring SD open even after it had been scheduled to be closed. It will most certainly be connected to his new position with Sanford Health and Denny Sanford.

If you are Native American and rely on any Health Care from any Indian Health Care services you need to be aware your Health Care has just taken a giant turn for the worst.

Also, about Sanford, He is the chairman and chief executive officer of United National Corporation.